When I first discovered art quilting, heavily encrusted, beaded quilts were very popular due to a revival of crazy quilting. For a while, paint, needle felting, and fabric manipulation became more popular as surface embellishment--and that's still true. But I see beaded embellishments are making...

Recently I spied a Facebook post by Candy Glendening in which she shared a picture of a fabric zipper-bag she made to hold her son's charging devices while he travels. Of course, Candy not only made the bag from her own dyed fabric but stitched her son's name on it, to boot. No one else is going...

Whether you want to use up bits of this and that in your studio, experiment with a new supply or technique, practice your free-motion stitching, or you're just looking for something fun to quilt in a day , fabric postcards make great small quilting projects. Fabric postcards by Cheryl Sleboda, from...

When you're looking for a quick sewing project for your home or a gift, a pillow is the perfect solution. Whether you make a simple pillow cover from scratch or purchase a plain one, you can add a personal creative touch with a variety of embellishment techniques . Marimekko fabric pillows by Kristine...

I enjoy raw-edge appliqué for many reasons. It's certainly a faster way of appliqué quilting than hand appliqué and I like the extra texture it brings to my fiber art. For example, when I appliqué leaves and branches onto my nest quilts, the little wisps of thread that...

When I first laid eyes on Dijanne Cevaal's "Blue Travelers' Blanket," a rich example of appliqué quilting , I fell in love with it. 'Travelers' Blanket' (detail), shows the hand appliqué work of artist Dijanne Cevaal. (Photos by Tony Summers) First, I loved...

Who could resist a face like Clarence's? You know I'm passionate about my pets; I'm particularly taken at the moment with the newest addition to my menagerie, Clarence. With those soulful eyes, it's only a matter of time before he becomes the subject of a mini-quilt or two. Isn't...

When someone asks me what's the difference between contemporary art quilts and traditional quilts, one of the first things I think of is embellishment, especially beads and encrustation. Beaded embellishment is just not something you are going to see on a traditional quilt, but it does pop up in...